President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called for a comprehensive approach to tackling the security challenges plaguing the Lake Chad Basin, emphasizing that only a combination of military strategy, diplomacy, and socio-economic development can restore lasting peace and prosperity to the region.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 5th Meeting of the Lake Chad Basin Governors’ Forum in Maiduguri, President Tinubu highlighted the tragic reality of Africa’s youthful population being exploited for violent conflicts. 

He stressed the need to transform the continent’s young people into agents of progress rather than instruments of destruction.

The president, who was represented at the forum by Vice President Kashim Shettima, underscored the importance of balancing military efforts with initiatives that promote unity, cultural exchange, and economic opportunity. 

While hard power is necessary to secure borders and combat insurgency, he noted that lasting peace is achieved through soft power—leveraging diplomacy, shared values, and regional cooperation.

The Lake Chad Basin region, which has faced years of insurgency and instability, requires a concerted effort from governments, development partners, and local communities to address the root causes of insecurity. 

President Tinubu reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to fostering regional collaboration and ensuring that the people of the Lake Chad Basin experience meaningful development and security.

According to a statement by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, Office of the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha, Tinubu said “Your Excellencies, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, our response to these threats must be multifaceted. 

“While military solutions are indispensable, they must be complemented by strategies that address the root causes of insecurity—poverty, inequality, and the lack of opportunities for our youth.

“It is a tragic irony that Africa, a continent with the youngest population in the world, sees its youth become cannon fodder for destructive ideologies and the drivers of conflict. This is the challenge before us: to transform this demographic dividend into a force for good.

“Power’s true essence lies not in its possession but in its application. Hard power may secure borders, but it is soft power—through diplomacy, culture, and shared values—that builds bridges and binds us together”, he said.

President Tinubu said every part of the world is entangled in its own unique security challenges, resulting in the global military gulping “a historic $2.4 trillion in 2023, with no signs of slowing.

He observed however that “hard power, detached from the moral imperatives of justice and diplomacy, only widens the very divide it seeks to bridge.”

The President told the Lake Chad Basin Governors’ Forum that it is only by sticking to the vision for which the forum was created that pursuing and adopting partnerships that benefit the people can be achieved.

Such partnerships, he said, include the collective commitment to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and advancing the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, even as he noted that the choices made “today will echo through generations, shaping the future of this region.”

Recalling the successes recorded so far in repelling threats to the region’s borders and sovereignty by elements of terror, the President attributed past victories by member countries to the joint missions they had embarked on.

“These hard-won victories,” he remarked, “are a testament to the strength of our cooperation,” adding that “as such, the guarantee of peace must remain paramount, even when domestic politics or policies seek to undermine the nobility of our agreements to serve the people.”

The Nigerian leader cautioned the Governors and other stakeholders against allowing “the geopolitical tensions across the world to sow discord” in the region, and submitting themselves “to become tools in any proxy agenda.”

He continued: “The salvation of the Lake Chad region is neither in Europe nor in the Americas. It lies in the hands of all those gathered here today. You, distinguished representatives of this forum, embody not only our collective will to protect the region but also the transformative potential that stability brings.

“The true enemy remains the non-state actors—those who exploit weak borders, poor governance, and fragile economies to challenge our claim to civilization. However, the worst threat we may face is not the insurgents or terrorists at odds with our humanity. It is the absence of cooperation, sincerity, and fidelity to our shared pact as brothers’ keepers.

“We undermine this pact when we renege on agreements to secure our borders when misinformation and falsehoods breed mistrust, and when we jeopardize the freedom and choices of our people.”

Earlier, the host Governor, Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State, described the forum as an opportunity for states around the Lake Chad Basin region across Nigeria, Niger, Chad, and Cameroon Republics to discuss and reflect on the journey so far since the Regional Strategy for Stabilization, Recovery, and Resilience became operational six years ago.

He noted that as partners in progress, the Yobe State government provided the platform for participants to strengthen contact and collaboration towards ensuring stabilization, recovery, and resilience across the Lake Chad Basin in the months and years ahead.

In the same vein, Borno State Governor Babagana Umara Zulum, commended the strategic partners of the forum, saying their contributions have enabled governments of the forum to tackle some of their challenges to strengthen and rebuild the Lake Chad region.

He said the platform is a rallying point for political cohesion, fostering regional interaction, sustaining the socio-economic development of the region, and regional integration.

Also, the Governor of Adamawa state, Ahmadu Umaru Fintri, noted that the Basin has passed through the worst environmental moment, leading to the shrinking of the Lake Chad

He recalled that “the United Nations  Environmental Programme has recently revealed that Lake Chad has shrunk 90% in six years and blamed the situation on climate change, irrigation and construction of dams and population increase.”

In his welcome remarks, Executive Secretary of Lake Chad Basin Commission, Amb. Mamman Nuhu, said the forum’s meeting “serves as a critical platform for fostering dialogue, enhancing collaboration, and reaffirming our collective commitment to addressing the multifaceted challenges facing the Lake Chad Basin.”

He noted that the theme of this year’s meeting, “Rebuilding the Lake Chad Basin: Consolidating Gains, Commitment to Peace, Cross-Border Cooperation, Security, and Sustainable Development for a Resilient Community,” reflects the immense progress achieved so far and the equally immense work that needs to be done.

Also speaking,  Ms. Cynthia Rowe, Development Director for the British High Commission, Nigeria, and Representative of International Support Group, commended the governors of the region stressing that the region has recorded marked improvement in the face of daunting challenges She noted that displaced people have returned to their homes, and hope has been restored, even though the challenges at the Lake Chad Basin still remain; poverty, complex crises, and climate change still persist.

She however pledged the support of the funding partners to continue in their efforts towards assisting the forum achieve its objectives.

Also present at the meeting were Governor of Hadji Lamis Province in Chad and Chair of the Lake Chad Basin Governors Forum, Ildjima Abdraman; Senator representing Borno South, Mohammed Ali Ndume; Senator representing Borno Central, Kaka Shehu Lawan; President of the 9th Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan, and members of the House of Representatives.

Others include Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari;  Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Maiha; Minister of Regional Development, Abubakar Momoh;  Minister of State for Industry, Trade, and Investment, Senator John Enoh; Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa; Shehu of Borno, HRH. Alh. Abubakar Ibn Umar Garba Al Amin El-Kanemi, and former Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), Amb. Babagana Kingibe among many others.